The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-03-11
PERSIA'S MONARCH.
The Self Possession Displayed by Him Un
der Trying circumstances.

The Self-POssessiOn Displayed by Him I'm
der Trying Circumstances.
Nasr-ed-Deen-Shah dimes alone. AL
though surrounded with every luxury,
his apartments being furnished much
in European style, he prefers to eat
like his ancestors, seated on his knees
and heels and dipping the choice
ragouts from the dish with n bit of thin
bread curled up like spoon. After
the meal is over female attendants pour
scented water on his fingers and bring
him his water-pipe; reclining against a
cushion embroidered by the deft fingers
of his fayorite odalisques, he quafis
mocha such as never reaches the foreign
market and the aromatic fumes Of the
tombakce of Shiraz.
A startling incident occurred in the
auderoon of Nasr-ed-Deen-Shah during
my last year at Teheran. 1t was on
the eve of his birthday; the event was
being celebrated by the Naib Sultaneh,
or youngest son of the Shah, with
grand banquet to the diplomatic corps
and the high dignitaries of the realm.
Strains of music foated over the city,
and the sky was illuminated with tc1tL
dc joie and showers of rockets. The
entire capital abandoned itself to fes-
tivity and mirth. 1t was at that pre-
else hour that the Shah entered the
apartments of his favorite wife. But
as he trod noiselessly on rich carpets,
and under the uplifted drapery passed
from the corridor into the poetic twi-
| light of the abode Of luxury, the
King was startled i'm q manner the
most unexpected by perceiving a
man standing by the door, who APP
preached him in silence. A strange
man in Persian auderoOn is always
! an extraordinary incident; but such an
! intruder in the palace Of the King him
! self might well be considered dread
portent. The more especially was this
| the case on the present occasion be-
cause prophecy existed fOrctelling the
death of Nasr-ed-Deen-Shah in his fifty
sixth year. The Shah preserved his
| self-command while the attendant
eunuchs arrested the intruder before
he could touch the sacred person Of
ROYALTY. Some Oriental monarchs
would have instantly ordered the man
to execution. But Nasr-ed-Deen-Shah,
with great self-posscssion, commanded
the intruder and possible assassin 10 be
kept under strict guard until the mat
ter could be investigated. The life of
the present Shah has several times been
attempted by the fanatical sect called
the Babees; once he was dangerously
wounded. That stranger should be
able to pass the sentinels and eunuchs
unperceived was matter requiring
careful inquiry.
Two days later the intruder was re.
leased on the pretence that he was a
Iunatic who had taken advantage Of
relaxed vigilance at a time Of festivity
to steal into forbidden precincts. But
so much mystery was thrown over the
entire transaction that ] am inclined
to think it may have had some connec-
ton with the Babees, whose secret
Vaccinations Nasr-en-Deen-Shah has
nearly as much reason 90 fear as his
predecessors did from the intrigues and
secret daggers or the Hassasseen, or
clan Of assassins who have been por-
trayed in the romantic pages Of Scott s
Talisman and Moore's Yelled Prophet
of Khorassan.- Philadelphia Press.